Drawers are secured to a pair of drawer slides, thus allowing them to slide into and out of the piece of furniture. Here’s a brief guide to help you understand the basics of a drawer slide and how to choose the right one for your application.
- Drawer Length: Depending on the size of the drawer unit you will need a drawer slide to match, the length is measured as the longest dimension of a fully closed slide - so the slide should fit the length of the drawer. The normal length of drawer slides will be determined by measuring the inner length of the drawer and subtracting 50mm.
- Drawer Opening or Extension: The slide 'extension' is the length to which the drawer will pull out from the drawer unit when open. Depending on the use of the drawer you may require a slide which extends the drawer out to ½ or ¾ the length of the drawer, or a full extension. In fact, in kitchens you find most drawers extend fully, whereas in bedroom furniture or office furniture you find more 3/4 extension slides.
- Load Rating: The load rating is an extremely important factor to consider when selecting a drawer slide. The weight listed is a gross weight that accounts for the drawer construction materials and the contents inside. This number indicates the maximum load that a pair of slides can carry if mounted as instructed. Sliding rails have many types, their load ranges from 25 - 45 kg.
- Types of Slides: Metal drawer slides are offered in three basic types: side-mount, under-mount and center-mount. Side-mount slides mount to the side of the drawer box. It is revealed between the drawer slides and the sides of the cabinet side. While the under-mount slides are totally concealed beneath the drawer, they offer a nice look and a slightly more storage area inside the drawer. The mental box slides creates a seamless and modern look for the drawers, it is not revealed. The types of slides will play into finishes of the drawers and even just a preference for the tactile feel of a given slide.
Special Features: Additionally, slides can come with features that make opening or closing a drawer more convenient. A Soft-Close slides includes a closing device, equipped with a damping cylinder that assists the drawer will close quietly and smoothly every time.
See more details of our IVAN’s drawer slides at https://ivanhardware.com/san-pham/thanh-ray-truot and contact us via a hotline 1800 6943 for more advice.